All-Mountain Board Opinions...

[Guest Bamboo_Girl]

Hey!<o></o>

<o></o>So someone I know is offering to sell me a neat board at a great price

(< $300). It’s a pretty new 166 cm Arbor Crossbow. Is this board too big, stiff, or long for someone my size? (5’10” 170 lbs)<o></o>

<o></o>Here’s a link to the specs: <o></o>

<o></o>

<o></o>CROSSBOWLength 166.0

Effective Edge 130.8

Sidecut Radius 9.6/8.7/9.6m

Tip/Waist/Tail Width 29.9/25.2/29.9

Tip/Tail Length 18.2/17.0

Set Back 2.0

<st1><st1>Stance</st1> <st1>Range</st1></st1>(INCHES) 18.00 - 24.50"

Suggested Rider Weight Min 140lbs

Suggested Rider Weight Max 210lbs<o></o>

<o></o>

I’m not looking to buy a dedicated alpine board. What appeals to me about this board is how different it is than mine, being that I have a 156 Arbor Push, much more flexy and with a smaller sidecut radius (7.6m). Assuming I got this new deck, I’d probably use the smaller Push for freestyle/jibbing and the Crossbow for free carving and big mountain riding.

My guess is it would be harder to turn but much more stable at higher speed?

<o></o>John from ABQ, if you read this, I did Muerte (a wide, groomed, black diamond run in SF) this past weekend (mostly freeriding) and the whole thing felt kind of iffy whenever I picked up speed. I’m thinking this is what people call chatter???<o></o>

[Allee]

I'm 5ft9 and 150, and I can happily charge around on a 167 Donek Axxess as my all mountain board - and I'd bet that the Arbor is nowhere near as stiff as that.

You'll find a huge difference with the extra length and stiffness when you start heading down some steep stuff, rocking some speed and cranking some turns. I took my 156SL board out on the weekend on some bulletproof, and it scared the hell out of me ... all squirrelly and nervous. Guess once you go long, you don't go back!

Harder to turn is all relative to the sidecut. Most jib boards have teeny sidecuts which doesn't do much for their holding a turn. With a bigger sidecut it will feel a lot less like it wants to spin around the centre, and a lot more like it wants to hook up. That's a bit different, but not in a bad way.

[Bullwings]

I’m thinking this is what people call chatter???<O></O>

Can't really comment on the board, except that greater length will provide more stability at higher speeds (at least as a generalization it should).

As for chatter, if you look at nice clean trenches in the snow when carving at the proper speeds, they look very smooth and well clean cut (like the majority of pictures posted here).

If your board is experiencing chatter, then your lines will be some what wavy and even have skipping. They might still cut deeply compared to skidding, but they definitely do not look smooth. If can picture a sine or cosine wave, it almost feels like your board is oscillating in that way while carving, and if you look at your lines, it almost looks like that too (well, at least that's what it is for me when I have heel-side chatter).

For softboot carving on a freeride board, you might want to look at Steepwater boards. I don't know much about them, but D-Sub raves about these boards. They have larger SCRs too -- something like 10m, which makes carving a realistic option. There might still be one or two in the classified section here, and for less than $300.

[Mike T]

Bamboo_Girl, what size are your boots?

A 25.2 waist means you probably want at least a 26.0 if not 27.0 soft boot to use it effectively. Unless you are a freakasaurus like me who has size 26 softboots and rides them (once in a while - I'm 95% hardboot nowadays) on a 26.0 waisted deck, with about 1/4" of overhand on all 4 corners even at mellow angles. Many find that not responsive enough. Only asking because a 26 or 27 boot is not the most common size even for taller women.

[Guest Bamboo_Girl]

Hey..

Thanks for all your comments, they are helpful. I'm encouraged that many of you are out there shredding on longer, or at least stiffer boards. It makes sense in my head mind you, I just haven't actually ridden a stiffer board to know the difference first-hand.

About my boots, um, well I am a size 10 W. I'm not sure what that equates to in the sizes mentioned (are those cm???). Not sure what a 10w = in terms of cm and all. I'll check the boots, maybe they'll have it on the inside.

With mellow angles, say ( < +/- 15 degrees), I end up with maybe a 1/8 - 1/4 " of over hang on all boot/edge points.

[Guest Bamboo_Girl]

the sizes he mentioned are "mondo point" sizes, which is the measurement you'll have to know in order to buy an alpine boot (or at least, one that fits anyway). It is the length of your foot in cm. most boots will have it in their lists of measurements. If "cm" or "mondo" isnt labled in the list, look for "Japan"

Nice, thanks for the heads up.

Here it is:

US 10 W

Eur: 41

CM: 27

Should that affect my considering that Arbor board?

BTW, I saw an Arbor Element on sale over the internet, but it would still be like 4.5 bills. Meanwhile, I can get the Crossbow for a lot less.

Would be nice to just be able to try something like that out (aka demo), before shelling out the cash.

[bobdea]

a women's size 10 is about a 8 3/4 in mens which is about the size most boards are developed around as well as most people don't tilt the board as much as somone who is used to riding plates is

thats the case for me I wear a US mens 11 and I can't deal with boards much narrower than 27 cm because I boot out even lifted way up on FR2s

I guess the biggest part is if you really want to carve it or not